Michigan woman had constitutional right to give middle finger to officer, court says

TAYLOR, MI – Flipping the bird can have consequences, but not when it’s directed at law enforcement.

That’s the opinion of a federal appeals court that ruled Wednesday that a Michigan woman's constitutional rights were violated when she was handed a speeding ticket after giving the finger to a suburban Detroit officer in 2017.

According to the Associated Press, the court ruled in a 3-0 decision that Taylor police officer Matthew Minard “should have known better” even if the driver, Debra Cruise-Gulyas, was rude.

Minard stopped Cruise-Gulyas and wrote her a ticket for a lesser violation. But when that stop was over, Cruise-Gulyas raised her middle finger, according to the Associated Press.

Minard pulled her over again in response and changed the ticket to a more serious speeding offense.

Cruise-Gulyas sued, saying her free-speech rights and her rights against unreasonable seizure were violated. The court ruling means her lawsuit will proceed.